President’s bravery medals honour 205 Guj policemen

In a gala function held at MahatmaMandir in Gandhinagar, chief minister Narendra Modi honoured 205 valiant police personnel, home guard and jail officials of Gujaratdecorating them with the President's special bravery medals.

These honours had been announced during last 8 years from 2004 to 2011, but were finally presented on Wednesday. Ironically, many of the police officers had to received the awards, which were announced while they were still in service, after their retirement because of the delay of 8 years in the awarding the medals.

Medals for their gallantry awards - special police service medals (VishisthSeva Medals) and police service medal for the extra ordinary services - were given by the CM. Police officers of Additional Director General of Police level to the police constable level were decorated by the medals.

Addressing the gathering, Modi suggested that the newly-appointed police personnel, who are undergoing training in various police training schools in the state, should be taught about the lives of valiant policemen, who have made supreme sacrifices of their lives, while performing their duty.

"Those police personnel who have died in acts of bravery from the formation of Gujarat state in 1960 to 2011, should be honoured with their accounts of bravery being enumerated in a book along with their photographs. This book should be part of curriculum at police training academies. Such a book will be the first of its kind in the country," Modi said.

He further said that true bravery is in not caring about the safety of one's own life while standing up to the call of duty.

"If players win on the playground, it cannot be termed as a big achievement, as they are playing for creating records or winning medals. Those who have died while doing their duties truly deserve applause," he said.

Appreciating the Gujarat Police, the CM said, "The young police officers are technocrats and highly educated. They are testimony to the fact that the future of the state police is bright. Gujarat police has inducted young blood in the force, it would be having the lowest average age of the police personnel in country. Gujarat police is among the best in the country and deserves recognition."